The Joy (Hebrews 12:2)

Motive is a key factor in a persons life. What we do does not necessarily reveal what we really are, but what motivates us reveals the deepest things about us. 

Jesus had a choice as to whether or not he would pay the price for our redemption. There could have been multiple reasons why he chose to bear and endure the terribleness of the cross, but one reason for certain was because of the joy that was set before him. 

The Scriptures do not exactly define what the joy was, but I like to believe that he was able to look into the far distant future and see the fellowship that we, as redeemed sinners, could have with him and the father. Without the cross, all that joy would have been lost. Joy greater than that of the shepherd with the lost sheep, the woman with the lost coin, and the father with the lost son. It is a joy of complete fullness with the absence of any sorrow. This is what moved Jesus: his deepest love and desire for the father, for us and the joy that we could share.

Upholding Others (Psalm 54:4)

Have you ever been so tired that you just couldn’t stand? If there wasn’t a chair available, you did the next best thing: you leaned against something to give you the support you needed. If by some chance you saw somebody in this type of a condition, you probably would have helped them along by holding them up.

Did you ever think of all the people who struggle so much with life that they just can’t stand any longer? All of life‘s hurts, struggles, disappointments—and for some trauma—continue to bear down upon a person‘s heart. Some choose to end their lives as a way of escape. Others successfully find the help and support they need.

Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul. (Psalm 54:4)

The support and help these people need are other people. They need the strength that others have to be shared with them and when this happens, their inner being or soul gains strength. Your actions of love—whether they are words spoken or written—bring strength to those who cannot stand alone. Any act of kindness can help those who are crumbling under their life‘s condition. You may not be able to do a thing about their circumstances, but you can be an encourager.

As you go to work, social events and church, look for the people that God brings to you for encouragement and share your strength with them.

It Is All in the Shepherd (Psalm 23:1)

What would it take to make you happy? People may give various answers to this question, but what each answer reveals is the longing that people have in their hearts. If you could sum up for all people as to what would make them happy, it would be that their hearts would be full and without want.  For some people, it may be to be out of debt.  For another person, it may be to have a spouse. If you asked a person living in an impoverished situation, their answer may be to have enough food to eat each day.

King David said it wisely, “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.” This statement is insightful in that David recognized the shepherd was everything that he needed and that because he had the shepherd, he did not have any needs. This does not mean that he was in possession of everything that he ever would need.  He recognized that it is the shepherd who would supply his needs and that because he had the supplier of his needs, he really had everything he would ever need.

Have you recognized this for your life? You have everything you will ever need in the shepherd: everything for your marriage, child raising, work, ministry and personal happiness. When you are abiding in the shepherd, your heart will be satisfied and lack nothing.  However, if you find your heart becoming barren and longing for something that you just cannot identify, it is because you ceased abiding in the shepherd.  You begin to want because you wandered from the shepherd.

If you want to be like David and in your heart experience the joy of being without want, consider the following.

1. Recognize your need for a shepherd.  

2. Decide to trust the shepherd. For some, it may mean them accepting his payment on the cross for their sin as what they need in order to be saved and accepted by God.  For others, it may mean that they will cease from trying to create their own security in life and will now trust him to provide for them.

3. Follow the leading of the shepherd. Life is not a brightly lit way down a path of lovely flowers. It is filled with darkness, evil and heart ache. When you follow him, he will lead you in the path that is best for you.

4. Feed on what the shepherd provides. Spend time with him in prayer and reading his word. From it, you will gain strength, nourishment and guidance.

5. Sit at the feet of the shepherd.  I am reminded of a German Shepherd that I once had. She would lie down at my feet and look up at me in adoration. I was strong and she loved strength; I am loving and she loved my attention. She would look at me and wait to be noticed. When I would reach out to touch her, she would soak up the attention. Did you know, that God wants that with us. He wants us to sit at his feet and look to him.  He wants to pour out his blessing of fellowship and love and when we experience this, we will recognize that everything we would ever want or need is found in him.

6. Rejoice in what the shepherd has provided to you. When you do, this rejoicing will be revealed in every aspect of your life. The lost and the saved will see it, but best of all, your heart will be drawn even closer to the shepherd.

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.

Really?

Oh yeah. Really!

Never Too Big (Psalm 23:1)

I remember a song from my childhood. The opening line was, "One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do." If there is one lesson we all probably have learned is that it is not good to be without friends. Most of us have had many acquaintances, but only a few close friends.

Similar to having the need of friends, we have an even greater need. Most people will never recognize this need: they may feel the effects of it, but never really identify the need. The need to which I am referring is our need for a shepherd. David recognized this need and spoke of it in the 23rd psalm.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  (Psalms 23:1)

Think about it for a moment. This is David, the great giant slayer; the man who wrote so many songs that have been a blessing to believers for centuries; and the eventual king of Israel. It is this man who states that the Lord is his shepherd. What an amazing statement, but even greater truth can be derived from his proclamation.

Regardless of how great you may be, you still need a shepherd. Since Adam plummeted mankind into the grips of sin, everyone of us is unable to guide our way through life without hurting ourselves or hurting others. Our nature to sin lead us away from God and the right way. (Ez. 34:12; Isa. 53:6) However for our good, God wants to lead us and be a shepherd to our souls. (2 Peter 2:25)

Consider this, wouldn't you like to know the right way to go or the answer to the difficult situations that you face? Everybody wants that, but again many will miss out. The reason for this is because in order for each of us to have a guiding Shepherd, we will need to give up the rights and control of our lives to him. This will take humility.

The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God. (Psalm 69:32)

In order to truly seek the Lord, you will need to humble yourself: that is to recognize that you do not have the ability to successfully live and fulfill the purpose for which you were created. When you recognize this and turn to the Lord, he will become your shepherd. If you don't know Christ as your Savior, he will lead you to trust him and he will continue to guide you throughout the rest of your life.

Forget Karma: God is Watching (1 Samuel 26:23)

If the Lord gave you what you really deserved, would you be ready for it?  Would you look forward to it with joy or does the thought frighten you?  What we fail to recognize is that it is not just a hypothetical question. 

The Lord render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: (1 Samuel 26:23)

These were words spoken by David when he interacted with King Saul who sought to kill him.  He knew that God was sovereign and would return upon men that which they have rendered to others.  The same still holds true today.  The New Testament describes the principle as sowing and reaping.  What you sow, you will also reap.  It may take some time before it arrives, but it is coming.  Just like it takes all summer for apples to grow and ripen on a tree, it may take most of a person's life before they reap what they sow, but be sure, they will reap.  

Much of this principle concerning sowing and reaping is in relation to how we treat other people.  If we sow righteousness towards others, then we will get righteous treatment back, but if we sow wickedness then wickedness awaits us.

Some may ask, "What guideline could I follow that would aid me in sowing righteousness?"  The answer would be to love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:39). If you allow your actions to be motivated by what is best for another person or make decisions that enable you to meet the needs of someone else instead of focusing on yourself, you will most consistently sow righteousness.  This doesn't require you to give all of your money to the poor or even to live a dejected life.  It only requires you to start focusing on others instead of yourself.  Give somebody recognition.  Show patience and mercy, try looking at situations from the other person's perspective or even take time to listen to people and their problems are opportunities that each of us have to sow righteousness.  It will not cost you one penny, but it will be an investment worth millions of dollars.

For you, the world of people is a field ready for planting.  What kind of seeds will you sow?

Fearing God vs Being Afraid of God

There is a difference between fearing the Lord and being afraid of the Lord. The former recognizes the greatness of God and his ability to do whatever he chooses. Therefore, he submits himself to the one that he recognizes as sovereign. Those who are afraid of the Lord, do not submit themselves to a sovereign God to rule over them. They instead perform actions in an attempt to keep God from exercising his anger upon them.  The former will have a love relationship with God: the latter will struggle with love and acceptance.

How did Job respond when his world caved in upon him?  He continued to fear the Lord. He remained steadfast in trusting God's sovereignty and continued to submit himself to him. (Job 1:21) Had Job been afraid of God, would his actions have been the same? Most likely not. His actions would have more been in line with those of his accuser.  If a person lives in fear and governs his actions to keep God from punishing him, how would he react when God does exercise wrath? As the accuser stated, "He will curse thee to thy face."  It would be in that manner that he would act.

God wants you to fear him, but not be afraid of him. Fearing God is respecting God for who he is and the power that he possesses. Those who fear the Lord will recognize God's ability to raise up and to put down, to love and admonish or to rebuke and chasten, and to exercise his will because what he desires is for the benefit of those he created.

When you are afraid of God, you have a difficult time accepting his love.  Being afraid and accepting love cannot cohabit because perfect love casts out fear. (1 John 4:18). Recognize that God loves you and that any actions that he has towards you will be motivated by his love.  As we seek him for our lives, blessings will flow to us from his love, but if our steps begin to slip, he by love will take whatever actions are necessary to keep us from ruining our lives.

Living a life of fearing the Lord is a joy and blessing, but living a life afraid of God is a struggle and burden.

Loving the God We Cannot See (1 Peter 1:8)

Love: a word used so freely today, but what does it mean?  True love is the desire that a person has to meet the needs of another without expecting to receive anything in return. With that, a great question arises. Can you love someone with whom you have never met face-to-face?

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: (1 Peter 1:8)

The answer is simple. You can love someone that you have never seen, but only if you have had the opportunity to interact with them.

In the early 20th century, a man in America, named Charles, began to correspond with the young woman, named Minnie, who lived on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. Their many letters shared the events of their lives: their likes, dislikes, problems and struggles. The letters also contained hopes, dreams and passions. All the time as the letters were shared something began to happen. Each began to be concerned for the other and desired to be with them so that they may experience life together: to share, help, care and love.  They fell in love and one day, decided to marry. They never met face-to-face until the day that she came off of the ship on America's shore.  To them, it didn't matter what the other person looked like: they knew each other and recognized the beauty that each possessed within. Several decades later, I met them and marveled at their story of love.

We too can love someone that we have never met face-to-face. Through our interactions with the Lord, we can experience him in times of trials and testing. The words that he has recorded for us speak to our hearts and encourage us in the deepest of struggles. When sorrow comes, only his words bring comfort. When others have rejected and cast us out, his words of love and the promise to always be with us draw our hearts close to him. When nobody understands or cares, he does and he tells us to cast our cares on him. (1 Peter 5:7). When we are confused and searching for direction, he sheds light on our path to brighten the way. Each of these interactions bring us into a greater understanding of the person who saved us and through it all we begin to love him.

One day, we will embark off of the ship on eternities shore and will take part in the marriage between Jesus and his church. But until then, our hearts rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory all because we know and love this person that we have never seen.

A Different Look at the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12)

I know you are poor, but the kingdom will be yours.
I know you are mournful, but I will comfort you.
I know you see yourself as nothing, but you will inherit everything.
I know that you want justice and you will be satisfied.

Inspire of it all...
Be merciful to others and you will get the same.
Don't let the outside corrupt you on the inside and you will see God's handy work.
Help others find peace and you will gain a great testimony.
Endure hardship for doing right and you shall be rewarded.


Matthew 5:3-12
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

He Touched Him (Matthew 8:3)

Many times, there are behaviors that people do that are overlooked by most.  Some people wring their hands as they think about something that disturbs them.  Others may brush their hair from their face when they are nervous.  The behavior isn't really important, but what is important is the motivation behind the behavior.


And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, ... Matthew 8:3

As I consider the passage recording Jesus healing the leper, I cannot help but ask my self questions in regard to Jesus' behavior.  One question is why did Jesus touch the leper?  He didn't need to touch him in order to heal because the next few verses record Jesus healing the centurion's servant who was some distance away.

Consider this.  When do you think was the last time the leper was touched.  I don't mean being pushed as he fought for food or random interaction among lepers, but when was the last time the leper experienced a tender affectionate hand rest upon the side of his face?  When did he last feel a grasp on his should like that of a loving father who rests his hand upon the shoulder of his son?  It had probably been an extremely long time.  I believe that after years of rejection from society and solitude living, the touch was God's display of affection to the leper.  It seems that as Jesus's hand gently rested on the leper, a part of the leper revived and his heart filled with the experience of God's love.

Did you know that God wants you to have that same experience of his love.  Regardless of whatever is in your past, God wants to have a relationship with you.  He loves you dearly and has done--through Jesus' work on the cross--everything that is necessary for that relationship to occur.  Come before and ask as the leper did and ask.  The relationship is greater than you can imagine.

What Guides You?

What is the delight or pleasure of your heart?  Sometimes we believe that our motive for decisions was just random, but that really isn't the case. Each decision that we make is guided by someone, something or some factor. In order to make right decisions, we need a guide to help us. But who are what is the guy? We have heard through TV, the media, music and whatever a variety of sources for guidance. "Let your conscience be your guide," said Jiminy cricket.  Cute song, but a bad idea. "Listen to your heart," says countless others. But the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)

But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. (Psalm 1:2)

Psalm one shows us how to get guidance.  We get guidance by speaking truth to ourselves or as the psalm say, meditate on God's word.  This meditation is not necessarily deep thinking, but instead a murmuring of the word of God to oneself.  You could accomplish this by finding a passage that God gives you and continually recite it to yourself thoughout the day or you may murmur biblical principles to yourself as you face specific challenges to yourself.  

I remember doing this as part of the Reformers Unanimous program.  Through it, I lowered my cholesterol by 50 points.  Each time I saw donuts or potato chips, I would quote the biblical principle, "If God is against it, so am I."  That act is exactly what Psalm one is all about.  A blessed life or a happy life comes by meditating on God's law day and night.

Knowledge of Salvation (Luke1:77)

As believers in Christ, we know that salvation is something that has already been accomplished for us.  We know that the complete debt for our lifetime of sin was paid by Jesus Christ and he accomplished this by becoming our substitute or sin bearer before God, but is that action of redemption all there is to salvation?  

There is much more to salvation than just the act of payment for sin.  What people fail to recognize is that salvation is more than an act performed by God, but that it is also a condition of life that he places us in.  In Luke 1:77, God records, "To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins."  The knowledge of salvation comes after and because of the action of salvation.

People know salvation when their sins are remitted or removed.  The action of salvation occurs when the debt of sin is reckoned to Jesus's account and the sinner is redeemed or bought back into a relationship with God.  Much more occurs such as adoption into God's family, God's righteousness imputed to us and being joint errors with Christ, but what also occurs is that we begin to live in the realm of salvation.  Salvation is not only an act, but also a condition of life.  Just as having cancer causes a person to live in the realm of illness and great wealth causes a person to experience the "rich" life, having the debt of sin removed by the work of salvation ushers believers into experiencing salvation.  One of the greatest things about salvation is the life that you experience after the act was completed.

When you live in salvation, there is nothing worth going back to. Oh don't be confused.  There have been many who have fallen to deceitfulness and made decisions to walk away from God, but they are like ships tossed in the sea.  Their lives again are shallow and empty.  They are not lost, just empty.  What brings hope is that God continues reaching out to them and if they so choose, they can return and again experience the wonderful life of salvation.

Gladness (Psalm 4:7)

Gladness, what is it?  It is a condition of the heart when a person experiences joy or laughter in their heart.  Some people seem to never experience it and others seem to have it as part of a daily occurrence.  Everyone is seeking for it, but few truly find it.  However, the Psalmist records that gladness is put into his heart by The Lord.

Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased. (Psalms 4:7)

I cannot say that I have lived long or that I have the fullness of wisdom, but I can state that I have experienced the two types of gladness that are mentioned in this passage.  Gladness when corn and wine increase seems to relate to gladness that comes from events or prosperity.  Although each of these can bring gladness of heart, neither will have a lasting effect.  You can have all the success and money that your heart desires, but one bad phone call can rob you of that gladness.  However, find gladness in God and even adversity cannot take it from you.  Remember Paul admonishing us to be content in whatever situation we may find ourselves? (Philippians 4:11)

True lasting gladness comes from an active relationship with God.  I say active for a reason.  We initially receive gladness when we come to Christ.  Remember what you experienced?  Gladness filled your heart because you received forgiveness of sin and finally came to know the true God.  However, sin affects our relationship with the father.  When we sin, our fellowship with God is hindered and becomes distant.  Unless repentance occurs, more sin will be committed which will in an even greater way affect our relationship with God.  As we drift away from God, gladness drifts away from us because our joy and gladness is tied directly to him.  Therefore to continually experience joy, we must have an active relationship with God.

The joy that God brings, still passes all understanding.  Regardless of what conditions we face in life, God is there with us and ready to provide the gladness to our heart.  

Your Life's Garden (Psalm 128:1-2)

Each year, I set out to have a garden and sometime late in the winter, I begin to plan what I want to grow.  I plant the seeds for tomatoes in March and nurture them until early May when I plant them in the ground.  Much work goes into weeding and pruning the plants, but in the later part of July, I begin to eat the fruit of my labors.  What a time to enjoy.  There are others who attempt the same, but because of their lack of knowledge in gardening or because of inconsistent labor, their yield of fruit is disappointing.

This is much like our spiritual lives in that we eat the fruit of our labors.  Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. (Psalms 128:1-2)

Instead of planning, planting and cultivating, we need to fear The Lord.  Our fear of The Lord will affect our walk and lead us to follow his ways.  The bounty that comes from these two is that we will eat the fruit of our labors, which will cause us to be happy and life will be good.

However in contrast, if we fail to fear The Lord and to walk in his ways, we also will eat the fruit of our labors.  We also will fail to find happiness and life will not be good.  The decision is ours and by whatever decision we choose to live, we shall eat the fruit of our labors.  We may try to blame the undesirable fruit that we are forced to eat on God, circumstances or other people, but the gardener in our garden is us.

If you have weeds in your life's garden, pull them up.  Turn your heart away from your way and seek The Lord.  Fear him and walk in his ways.  The fruit that you yield will definitely be worth it.

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Two Steps To Being Happy (Psalm 119:1-2)

Everybody is in some way pursuing the same goal: they want to be happy.  Many mistakenly think that money will bring happiness.  So they strive for as much wealth as possible and come up empty.  Others seek happiness in positions of power or by acquiring desired possessions, but again the results are short lived and disappointing.  Still others turn to the vices of sin such as alcohol, drugs, and the various forms of promiscuous sex resulting with the same disappointment.  If these are not the way to happiness, how can a person be happy?

True happiness, the kind that swells up into your heart and brings the satisfaction in life that you are looking for, comes from two practices.  Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. (Psalms 119:1-2)

A person will experience happiness that comes from God when they do not allow themselves to be defiled by the world around them.  As they engage in life, these individuals battle to keep their acts aligned with God's law and resist following the wrong examples set by the world.  The second practice, which produces happiness, is to keep God's word in your heart and to seek him with it.   The word keep carries the idea of guarding or watching over something.  If we guard the testimonies of The Lord in our hearts, it will enable us to seek him with our whole heart.  This keeping and seeking brings the happiness that each person desires.  We were created by God and because of that our happiness is dependent upon that relationship with him.  

If you drift from this relationship, you drift from happiness.  If you depart from following God's laws and become defiled by the world, you lose happiness.  Happiness can be obtained by the rich, poor, all nationalities, all age groups and intellects.  God wants everybody to have it and everyone can by following two steps: stay true to God's laws while resisting being defiled by the philosophy of the world and guard God's testimonies in your heart.

Another Way To Happiness (Psalm 32:2)

Are you happy?  I mean are you really happy?  The Lord wants you to be happy and he has declared ways for you to find and enjoy this happiness.  Many times when God speaks of happiness, he uses the word blessed.  Probably one of the most familiar places in scripture which speaks of the believer being blessed is found in Psalm 1 which reads: Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.  This is a wonderful passages which highlights actions which bring to the believer the happy or blessed life as well as that which will bring judgment.

However, there is another passage in scripture which promises happiness to the believer and states that happiness is experienced when your sins are forgiven and covered.  "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." (Psalm 32:2)

Remember how happy you were when you first trusted Christ?  Your sins had been removed as far as the east is from the west and you had been forgiven.  The burden of sin was removed from your heart and for the first time you experienced true happiness.  God wants us to continue having this happiness, but when we sin, we are robbed of it.  The longer you remain in sin, the more deeply you will experience the loss of happiness.  Possessions and experiences will not change your condition and make you happy because happiness is never found them.  The way to regain the happiness is to acknowledge and confess your sin to God. (Psalm 32:5).  If sins removes your happiness, then getting forgiveness will bring it back again.

As you find yourself struggling through life and seeming to have lost your happiness, you would be best to ask The Lord to show you if there is any hidden sin in your heart that needs to be confessed.

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